I am loving the rumors that the Knicks are looking into bringing 39 year old free agent center Kurt Thomas back. I have always been a huge Thomas fan. He was great with the Knicks from ’98-’04 and I even enjoyed watching him in Chicago this past season In watching him play this past season, he can still shoot, he still has that tenacity and meanness on the court and he delivered some hard fouls that the Knicks desperately need. He started 37 games for the Bulls this season, the team that had the best record in the Eastern Conference. While he averaged only 4.1 ppg and 5.8 rpg, his impact on the game doesn’t come in statistics. He’s 39 so he’s a clear backup at this point but he has the ability to mentor our young guys like Josh Harrellson and Jerome Jordan. Him and Amare have a mutual admiration for each other from their Phoenix days. Would Thomas come in and save the team at center? No way. But could he provide veteran leadership, give you 15 solid minutes a game off the bench and provide the intimidation factor down low that we desperately need? Absolutely. Plus he’ll come cheap on a willing 1 year contract which is what we need from our free agents as we prepare for the summer of 2012. Obviously this talk is all relative to the terms of the new CBA but I believe Thomas will come so cheap (he made 1.35 million last season) that he’ll be affordable no matter what the cap is. There’s a lot to like in Kurt Thomas’ situation. For a man who has never won a championship, coming back to a talent infested New York ball club with a chance to get some playing time should make a lot of sense for him. Bringing in an old vet who already knows New York, knows the garden, and who would fit in nicely as a veteran on this young team makes a lot of sense for the Knicks. Lets get it done Knicks hierarchy. Bring back Kurt.